25 Car Salesman Tips for Selling More Cars

Whether you are new to the car business and selling cars for a living or you have been doing it for years these car salesman tips will help you sell more cars and make more commissions. Selling cars to the public is not like any other retail job and not everyone is cut out to be a car saleswoman or a car salesman. Some people may already have some of the skills needed to be a successful car salesman and the others can learn what they need to know to become more successful and ultimately make more and larger car sales commissions.

These car sales tips and advice touches briefly on the different things that you may have already learned when you were taught how to sell cars at a dealership. They were probably included in your car sales training and some of these things you need to reinforce or memorize to become a more professional and effective car salesman or woman. Keep these tips for car salesmen handy as a reference and work on the items or areas where you might need some improvement such as your car sales closing techniques.

Car Salesman Tips and Techniques to Sell More Cars

1. Every car buyer is different. No matter who you are trying to sell they all have different backgrounds, budgets, wants, needs and desires. No two car deals are exactly the same and if you think they are you are going to lose sales. Everyone has different reasons for buying a car, whether it’s a new or used car it’s always about much more than dollars and cents.

2. People need to have cars and they have to buy them somewhere so it might as well be from you and your dealership. No matter what they say when you first meet them, they want to buy a car. They didn’t come to your showroom to waste a few hours. They came to buy a car and it’s your job to sell them a car by determining their buying triggers and satisfying their needs while making use of your car sales techniques and training. This is one of the car salesman tips that salespeople often forget when they are working with difficult and demanding car buyers.

3. We have all heard the term “Buyers are Liars”. The customer uses lies and deception for a reason and that reason is to defend themselves from the car salesman that is commonly known for taking advantage of the average car buyer. They may tell you the truth later after you build some rapport, but only if you earn their trust. Overcome their objections and get their commitment to buy. When they tell you that they have to think about it or that they need their spouse before they buy it’s merely an objection that you need to overcome.

4. Don’t lie to your customers. I didn’t say you have to tell them everything you know, but don’t lie to them. If you don’t have the answer to their question, tell them you don’t know and that you will get them an answer. If a customer believes that you have lied to them you will lose their trust and their business for something as a simple as a gas mileage rating.

5. Potential car buyers will ask you what seems to be senseless questions when you are working with them. You first reaction would be to say what does that have to do with buying this car, but the real reason for some of their questions is to test you. Customers will test your knowledge and honesty in order to decide if they want to buy a car from you. See sales tip #4 above.

Car Sales Tips to Make More Commissions

6. Don’t bad mouth the other car dealer. They don’t want to hear how bad the car dealer is across town. Maybe they were there earlier today or yesterday and they didn’t buy a car from them. If the other dealer or car salesman was so great they wouldn’t be talking to you, they would have bought the car from the other dealer.

7. Dress, smell and act the part. Look like a professional car salesman, dress appropriately in clean and pressed clothes and don’t smell like an ashtray. Have a positive attitude and be enthusiastic. You can overcome a poor first impression, but it just makes things harder on you and it will affect your salary so look, smell and act the part. One of the most often overlooked car sales tips.

8. Know your product. Product knowledge won’t sell cars on it’s own, but your customer needs to feel comfortable about spending a large amount of money. If they feel that they are working with a car salesman that doesn’t know what they are talking about you are likely to create another “Be Back” and we all know that be backs wont be back.

9. The “Be Back Bus” doesn’t stop here. I think I can safely say that less than 2% of the customers that ask for your business card and tell that they will be back won’t. Yes some do, but you will never make a good living waiting for “Be Backs”. Most customers that have decided that they are not buying from you or your dealership will tell you that they are going to be back and need a way to leave without making a commitment.

10. The car buyer can smell desperation. When you are desperate to sell a car your customer can sense that like an angry dog can smell fear. Even if you desperately need to sell a car the customer needs to believe that you don’t need to sell them a car, but you are merely helping them gather information. Desperation will turn them off so quickly that you will wonder what you did or said. This is one on the most important car salesman tips that can make a huge difference in increasing your sales and ultimately your income.

11. People like to talk about themselves. Yes, even the shy and introverted customers like to talk about themselves. If you can get them to trust you and build some rapport you can get even the shyest people to talk your ear off and provide you with everything you need to know to sell them a car. So of all the car salesman tips asking questions will help you get them to open up and talk. This will help you learn about them and build rapport.

12. The car buyer wants to feel like they are getting a good or at least fair deal. Whether they made a great deal or not they need to feel like they made a good choice. Almost all buying decisions are made with emotion, so the way they feel about you, your dealership, the car, the price or the deal is critical to your success as a car salesman and overcoming objections.

13. Car buyers will pay more for a car than they need to when they believe that the value of your service and the value of the dealership outweighs the price. This is very important car selling advice and I’m not going to type it twice so read again and again until it sinks in and becomes a part or your being.

14. People can buy cars from any number of different car dealers. Especially new cars because new cars are a commodity no matter where you buy them so the real difference is you , the experience you provide and your dealership.

Car Saleswoman and Car Salesman Tips Training and Advice

15. Treat all of your customers like they own the dealership. When you treat your customer like they are the best customer you ever had it will return to you in many ways. They will send you friends and family to buy cars and they will also want to buy more cars from you in the future. Plus they will give you a great C.S.I. score or Customer Satisfaction Index which may mean a bonus if your dealer uses that as a measurement for compensation. One of the most powerful car salesman tips for building your referrals and earning repeat customers.

16. Know your inventory. Whether it be new or used car inventory you should have a good idea of what you have in stock so you can switch them to another car if the need arises. There can be any number of reasons, so knowing what to suggest or show them can put you way ahead of your competition. It’s said that 80% of all car buyers will purchase something different what they came in to the dealership to buy. Take advantage of this car sales tip and up-sell them.

17. Leave you problems on the curb. When you get to the dealer you need to have your head in the game. Selling cars for a living requires you to have your head in the game at all times. You need to have the answers, ask the questions and be a step ahead of your customer at all times. Learn to leave you problems at the curb and you will sell more cars.

18. Shut up and listen. You have two ears and one mouth so listen twice as much as you talk and learn when to shut up. See Shut-up a Car Salesman Tip the post. The power of knowing when to talk and when to shut up can make a huge difference in your car sales commission. There is a saying in the car business when negotiating that the first one to speak loses after a proposal.

19. Look them in the eyes. If you have have a tendency to look away when people look you in the eye you better get over it. Most people do, but when you don’t look your customer in the eye when you speak it feels sincere. You can also pick up on their level of commitment and sincerity when you look them in the eye.

Car Sales Tips and Tricks for the Good Life

20. Sell your customer not the desk. The sales manager has been in your shoes and has a pretty good idea when you are selling them on why they should take the deal. Stop selling the sales manager and sell the car buyer. Remember, two people meet and one gets sold. Will you be the one doing the selling or will your customer?

21. Don’t forget the extras. Whether it’s your dealership’s policy or not you need to sell the extras to earn more income and at times to qualify for bonuses. No matter how hard it was to close the sale or how tight the payment was to reach you might be able to sell them accessories or options. Some car buyers are conditioned to buy the extras and you will lose an opportunity to make more money if you can them them some extras. You might be surprised who will buy the extras if you give it and honest pitch. Plus you can turn a “Mini Deal” into a good deal with some extras when you follow this advice for selling cars.

22. Don’t leave money of the table. If you don’t get the extra money out of your customer the F & I Manager will. If your car dealership has a good F & I Department they will get the money and commission that you left behind. I don’t know about you, but I like money in my pocket to much to give it up to the Finance Manager so don’t give up too easy.

23. Follow Up. Follow up on everything whether it is sold new car customers, used car customers, “Be Backs” or customers you sold a year or more ago. Stay in touch through your “CRM” (customer relationship management tool) and ask for referrals because these car buyers can provide you with future sales and income. Make sure to take advantage or your “CRM” to prospect for new customers whenever you get some downtime during the day because this is one of the car salesman tips that can get you a few more sales every month and increase your salary.

24. The Delivery. The last person your customer sees before they leave the dealer is you. Thank them, show them all about their new car, inspect the car with them and make sure they are happy after the F & I Manager has been grinding them for a warranty, insurance and service agreements. Make them happy so the last thing they remember when leave is you and the great experience you provided at the car dealership so they will send you referrals. This car sales tip can bring you future business and referrals which is the secret to a successful car sales career.

25. Enthusiasm. Enthusiasm sells cars when your customer feels your enthusiasm. Make them feel that you are happy to see them, happy to meet them and happy to help them. Be enthusiastic about the car, the dealership and everything they have to say. Don’t be phony or they will sense it. Be excited when you have a customer that wants to buy a car.

These car salesman tips might not help you become the world greatest car salesman, but they will help you sell more cars. They have come from some of the top car sales people I have known including myself. You can make a six figure income selling cars for a living if you follow this time tested car sales advice and guidance. There are thousands of good car salesmen and car saleswomen making a very good living as a successful car salespeople. These sales tips are not necessarily for Chevy, Ford, Toyota or Dodge buyers, but these tips will help you move more vehicles. Whether you sell new, used or Certified cars it doesn’t matter, car buyers are still people and people like to do business with people they like. You can learn how to be a good salesman and even become a great car salesman because there is no such thing as a born car salesperson. If you have more tips for salesmen please add them to the comment box below and I will add them to the list.

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16 Responses to 25 Car Salesman Tips for Selling More Cars

A good practice according to a psychology video I saw was, to make good eye contact with the customer. You need to make sure the customer knows he can trust you in order to be a good sales person. Be confident, ask the customer what he or she wants in the car, be honest in your reviews, don’t just try to sell a car.

Hi. I’ve been studying car sales as I want to walk into an interview prepared to impress as a green pea. Can you provide me with more insight on “Sell the customer, not the desk”?. I’m not grasping this. Also, if you could tell me more about the sales person relationship to the desk, finance and management to help me maximize my commissions would make me feel like I’m not giving money away to my superiors because I’m not in the know.. It seems to be a murky area. Any advise here will be a great help. Thanks, -Kevin

Don’t be afraid to ask a manager for help. Especially if you are new, always try and get another person involved. You may end up having to split the deal with them, but at least you gain some pay and some extra experience you didn’t have before. I am new to the business and I work for a Toyota dealership and this has been the most useful tip for me. I sold 4 cars in 2 days and made over a grand in commission alone because I brought in extra help to answer questions that I couldn’t. Managers are there to help you, so use that.

Management introduction should be brought into the deal early on to help as much as possible.